Chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis are mutating to resist antibiotics, experts warn
The WHO today revised guidelines to doctors on how to treat the STIs, urging the best drugs are given in the right doses
Sexually transmitted infections are rapidly mutating to evade antibiotics, world health experts today warned.
Doctors must take action to ensure they prescribe only the right drugs in the correct doses, in a bid to stem a potential wave of super-STIs.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) today revealed new guidelines for the treatment of three of the most common sexually transmitted infections.
Chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis are all caused by bacteria that can generally be eradicated with the use of antibiotics.
However, these STIs often go undiagnosed and are becoming more difficult to treat, with some drugs now failing as a result of misuse and overuse.
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"Resistance of these STIs to the effect of antibiotics has increased rapidly in recent years and has reduced treatment options," the UN agency said.
Resistance is caused, among other things, by doctors overprescribing antibiotics, and patients not taking the correct doses.
Of the three STIs, gonorrhoea has developed the strongest resistance to the drugs.
Strains of multi-drug gonorrhoea that do not respond to any available antibiotics have already been detected, the WHO warned.
And, while less common, experts say resistant strains of chlamydia and syphilis pose a real threat, "making prevention and prompt treatment critical".
When left untreated, STIs can result in serious complications and long-term health problems.
For women, in particular, the side-effects can be catastrophic, resulting in infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage.
And, infection with the infections also raises a person's risk of being infected with HIV.
The UN agency added: "An untreated STI in a pregnant woman increases the chances of stillbirth and newborn death."
When used correctly and consistently, condoms are one of the most effective methods of protection against STIs
World Health Organisation
Ian Askew, head of WHO's reproductive health and research division, said: "Chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis are major public health problems worldwide, affecting millions of peoples' quality of life, causing serious illness and sometimes death.
"The new WHO guidelines reinforce the need to treat these STIs with the right antibiotic, at the right dose, and the right time to reduce their spread and improve sexual and reproductive health.
"To do that, national health services need to monitor the patterns of antibiotic resistance in these infections within their countries."
It is estimated that, each year, 131 million people are infected with chlamydia, 78 million catch gonorrhoea and 5.6 million are diagnosed with syphilis.
More than one million people contract a sexually transmitted infection (STI) every single day, WHO medical officer Teodora Wi said.
In a bid to rein in resistance to the STIs, the WHO published new guidelines for doctors, advising how best to treat the infections in light of the mounting resistance crisis.
With regards to treating gonorrhoea, WHO recommends health authorities track the prevalence of resistance to different drugs in the strains of gonorrhoea prevalent in their communities.
Meanwhile, for syphilis the UN agency advises doctors prescribe a single dose of the antibiotic benzathine penicillin, injected into the patient's buttock or thigh muscle.
But, despite updating their treatment advise, WHO experts stressed the most effective way to prevent the side-effects of STIs is to prevent them in the first place.
"When used correctly and consistently, condoms are one of the most effective methods of protection against STIs," the WHO added.